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'The best books, reviewed with insight and charm, but without compromise.' - author Jackie French

Tuesday, 12 June 2018

Review: The Things We Can't Undo

Sam and Dylan are in love. They have been together for
almost a year and still haven’t gone all the way. Ryan’s party seems to be the
right time. But is it?

After the fact, Sam is in crisis mode. Did Sam
consent, or did Dylan force her? They had both been drinking and can’t remember
their thoughts of that moment clearly. This gives birth to guilt and doubt,
which is followed by suspicion and countless questions about consent, and what
defines NO, even between two people with strong feelings for each other. The
two begin to dissect their actions and feelings, allowing doubt and guilt to
replace the trust and love that they had previously shared, until the situation
becomes a freight train out of control.

Sexual assault is currently an issue widely
discussed and questioned. This book has used a multi-point of view approach to
analyse and bring into focus, the ways these questions are looked at. It uses
diary entries, text messages, unsent letters, Social Media conversations and
interaction, and reports from School Counsellors to examine arguments presented
in this fast-paced and powerful exploration of what consent is, and what
defines rape.

Gabrielle Reid evenly covers all sides of a
debatable issue about the definition of sexual assault. Impressively exposed is
how easily Social Media can support or destroy an individual’s reputation, how
suicide can be the only considered option when an individual’s life is
destroyed by rumours, allegations and accusations that escalate and end up out
of control.

Other arguments thrust powerfully at readers for
consideration, are what part do external factors, such as peer pressure and
parental expectations play, in causing anxiety and depression, fear and
alienation in a person without choice. How strongly can an individual’s
perception of a situation be influenced by additional external factors and ‘situational
reasons’ that lead to internal chaos? To
whom can young people turn when filled with fear because of things they can’t
undo?

Well-written and presented, this riveting novel
succeeds in provoking thought and discussion in many areas, and will serve many
purposes when conversation on this subject is brought up.